Chrysanthemums are a classic flower for the fall front porch display. Their ease of care, variety, and floriferous nature make them an all-around favorite. Sometimes, however, we want something a little different. An alternative to, or something else to pair with, our mums. 

Many plants are winding down in the fall, when mums are showing off their fullest glory. While I love a nice pot of mums, I find that without additional textures, they can be a bit boring. 

In order to be an alternative to mums, a plant needs to have a couple of traits. First, it needs to look beautiful, either blooming in the fall or with stunning fall foliage. Two, it should be fairly low-maintenance. And finally, it needs to work well in a container. Here are some of my favorite mum alternatives for your fall porch. 

Asters

Blooms late into fall, even after light frost.

Asters are cheery, colorful, daisy-like flowers that make great mum alternatives for a fall porch. They come in shades of pink, purple, blue, and white, and they’re prolific bloomers. Asters bloom from late summer through fall, often until the first frost. 

It’s common to see these flowers in borders and cottage gardens. There are many varieties in different sizes. They also take well to life in a container. Choose a large container, as asters like to spread out their roots. They thrive best in full sun but tolerate partial shade.

Sedum

Needs little care and thrives in dry soil.

Sedums are extra easygoing and reliable mum alternatives for a fall porch. These perennial succulents make a beautiful, low-maintenance alternative. Their succulent nature means that they rarely need attention, and they are wonderful bloomers. 

Sedum leaves are thick and fleshy, and come in a wide range of colors. From bright green to deep burgundy, the foliage is gorgeous year-round. In late summer and fall, many varieties produce lovely flower clusters that are popular with pollinators. Make sure your container has excellent drainage to avoid root rot. 

Marigolds

Heat-tolerant flowers keep blooming until frost.

Marigolds are a favorite of mine, and many others. This is evident by how easily you can find them at the local nursery. They are big bloomers that last a long time, and they are easy to care for. Marigolds are native to Mexico, and they are tolerant of a good deal of heat and drought. 

One of the best things about marigolds is their color palette. In shades of orange, yellow, and red, they mirror the beautiful fall landscape. They grow exceptionally well in pots and will bloom right up to the first frost. They are ideal mum alternatives for a fall porch.

Calendula

Cold-hardy blooms survive early fall freezes.

Calendula is another great mum alternative for a fall porch. Sometimes called pot marigolds, the two are different but have some similarities. These appear in many of the same colors as marigolds, and a few additional ones. The flowers are cheerful, edible, and even have skin care properties!

The best thing about calendula is its cold tolerance. I highly recommend this plant for those in cooler climates where the first freeze comes early in the fall. They will survive dips into the upper 20s without protection.

Purple Fountain Grass

Arching purple foliage adds bold texture.

If you want to add drama without a ton of maintenance to your fall porch, purple fountain grass is a great mum alternative. It has gorgeous purple leaves and a lovely arching form. Soft, bottlebrush plumes rise above the foliage and catch the light wonderfully. 

Purple fountain grass is wonderful in a container of its own. It’s equally excellent as a thriller in a container arrangement with other plants. It doesn’t mind the restriction of a container, and it’s drought-tolerant, so it requires little attention. 

Ornamental Kale

Colorful leaves get brighter after an autumn frost.

Ornamental kale is a great mum alternative for a fall porch. It’s not a flowering plant, but it comes in a wide range of colors that make it comparable to even the brightest blooms. It even has a flower-like rosette form. Layers of ruffled leaves in shades of purple, pink, red, white, and green are perfect for brightening things up. 

Kale is a cool-weather vegetable that tolerates low temperatures. It handles repeated frosts and is fine down in the 20s (around -4 to -7°C). In fact, some cold weather brightens up the colors and makes this plant even prettier!

Heather

Evergreen foliage surrounds late-summer to fall blooms.

Heather makes a charming potted plant and a great mum alternative for your fall porch. It has dense foliage and ample, colorful flowers that brighten up any space. It’s also evergreen, so it looks nice even in the winter months with needle-like foliage. Sometimes the leaves turn bronze in the fall. 

Make sure to look for one that blooms in late summer and early fall. This is the genus Calluna as opposed to Erica, which blooms in late winter and early spring. Give your heather acidic, well-draining soil and as much sun as you can. 

Pansies

Pinching spent flowers keeps blooms going longer.

You may associate pansies with early spring, but you can grow them in the fall as well. They’re a beautiful alternative to mums and brighten up your front porch wonderfully. Pansies are a hybrid of violas, which also make nice porch plants during the cooler months. 

Pansies like the sun, but they don’t tolerate heat. Keep them in partial shade until the weather cools off. They prefer moist, well-drained soil. Pinch the flowers as they fade to keep this frost-tolerant plant blooming well into the holiday season. 

Geraniums

Fragrant foliage and blooms thrive in warmer weather.

If you live in a warmer climate, geraniums are wonderful for the fall season. With their bright, vivid blooms, they make wonderful mum alternatives for a fall porch. They will stop blooming once the temperature starts dropping below the 40s (around 4°C) at night. 

Geraniums are low-maintenance and have wonderful, fragrant foliage and brilliant blooms. Deadhead them regularly to keep them blooming and looking nice. Make sure to give them enough light, and prolong their life by bringing them in if a frost is on the forecast. 

Ornamental Peppers

Compact plants have glossy, colorful peppers in fall.

Ornamental peppers are fun and funky mum alternatives for a fall porch. Brightly colored and ripening just in time for fall, they add interesting texture and personality. I love that these have an unexpectedness to them. Tiny, brightly colored peppers certainly are a conversation piece. 

These make excellent potted plants. They don’t mind growing in a container, and most remain fairly compact. They have lovely green or purple-tinted foliage. The glossy fruits come in a variety of shades, and sometimes more than one exists on the same plant. 

Purple Passion Plant

Velvety purple leaves make a striking container plant.

Purple passion plant doesn’t get nearly enough attention, and it’s truly a mystery to me. It’s tropical, so you can’t leave it outdoors overnight if there will be a frost. However, it’s a gorgeous foliage plant that performs excellently in a container. 

Use this as an alternative to purple mums, or together for a striking combination. The foliage on the purple passion plant is deep green and covered with a soft, purple, velvety coating of fuzz. It’s really stunning, and during the winter it makes a great houseplant.

Pink Muhly Grass

Clouds of pink plumes appear at summer’s end.

Ornamental grasses are stunning additions to the fall porch, and what grass is more beautiful than pink muhly? It’s such a dramatic and ethereal plant. As summer turns into fall, this otherwise unassuming grass turns into a magical wonder. It’s a wonderful mum alternative for a fall porch.

Pink muhly grass looks like any other, fine, ornamental grass through most of the year. At the end of summer, it produces clouds of airy pink blooms. They are so tiny that it makes the entire plant appear to be in a mist of pink. It needs a larger container and excellent drainage. In spring, put it in the ground and it will grow much larger!

Cyclamen

This cool-season bloomer thrives in indirect light.

Cyclamen is an often-overlooked fall bloomer that works excellently in pots. They are fall and winter bloomers and thrive in cool weather. They also make nice houseplants when the temperature gets too low. Cyclamens grow to about 6-12 inches, so they stay manageable and are good for smaller spaces. 

This is not a full sun alternative to mums. If you keep these on your fall porch, make sure they don’t get too much sun. Bright, indirect light is perfect. That’s why they make such wonderful houseplants!